In the past few days, the grain and military materials shipped to Weiyuan have been somewhat chaotic. The number is not short, but the writing of the list of items is obviously completely different from the specifications formulated by Han Gang before. According to the regulations, all the lists of materials must be signed by the military transfer envoy, and Cai Xi did not give up this right. After Han Gang left Longxi, the officials below could not take away this power

But Cai Yu put aside the established law that Han Gang had determined, and wrote casually, and there was no organization on the list. When Han Gang received it, it was a headache to count. Although some people below said that Cai Xi did it on purpose, Han Gang felt that being able to make a problem with an outbound order was purely because Cai Xi's self-esteem was higher than his ability.

Nowadays, there are many talented people everywhere, but there are always people in the officialdom who are incompetent, and Cai Xi is afraid of being one of them. Han Gang now seems to have some understanding of what Wen Yanbo is going to stuff Cai Yu in.

'Let's let him go to Lintao as soon as possible to report. Han Gang pinched the bridge of his nose, hoping that this set of techniques he had learned in the past would restore the clarity of his sore eyes.

Wang Shao said that he wanted to test the knife with Cai Xi, but after all, he still didn't dare to take the risk with the belly of the front-line soldiers. Therefore, he still ordered Cai Yu to go to Lintao City to preside over the transfer affairs, and simply put it under his nose to monitor.

Han Gang supported the order. If Cai Yu disobeys the order, he can be dealt with directly. If he obeyed the order and went to Lintao, Han Gang would just be able to do the entire logistics affairs, instead of taking care of Cai Xi in sections and letting himself fill in the gaps for him.

The 3,000 people recruited by Qinzhou should arrive in Longxi in two days. There are thousands of more mouths, but there is no time to wipe Cai Xi's ass anymore......

"Timunchi! Something happened! A messenger shouted loudly and rushed into the middle hall of the fort occupied by Han Gang, "The team that set out yesterday was ambushed under Baishi Mountain!" ”

Han Gang's face faded from blood, but he still tried his best to keep his shock and reprimanded, "What's the panic, it's just a team, do you want to mess up the army?!" ”

When the messenger heard this, he quickly knelt down and pleaded guilty.

Han Gang glared at him twice, and then asked, "How much did you lose?!" ”

"More than 20 people were wounded, and nine died. The loss of military funds is about more than two percent. ”

“…… OK! OK! Han Gang relieved himself and leaned back on the back of the chair. The hand pressed against the heart, and this shock made the heart a little unbearable. All the grain and grass sent to the front line have a certain degree of redundancy, and it is impossible to make it as much as the daily needs of the front-line army. At present, a quarter of the loss is still within the range of Han Gang.

"How many thieves are there, and how many of them have been killed?" Feeling a little relaxed, Han Gang asked again.

"More than 500 thieves in total, more than 100 ...... killed"

'! Han Gang almost didn't scold, he slammed the table with his fingers, and said angrily: "If you can kill more than a hundred thieves, you can still lose so much grain?" Is it true that the courage of the Tibetan people is beaten with iron?! Those who fight to the death and don't retreat, with this ability, how can they lose Lintao City? …… Report me the number of beheadings! ”

The messenger did not dare to exaggerate any more, and replied cautiously: "The real one is six." Two of them were captured alive, but they died of their wounds. ”

That's pretty much it. Han Gang nodded.

Six against nine, in the case of a sneak attack, the exchange ratio of this troop loss cannot be said to be a loss. The Tubo people who attacked the baggage team took the initiative to withdraw from the battlefield, and it stands to reason that they should have some casualties.

"Is it Mu Zheng's soldiers who ambushed the baggage team, or is it Wu Qi's soldiers?"

"Neither." The messenger shook his head: "The captured thief said that it was the Yu Zang family. ”

"Yu Zang Hua Ma?!"

Han Gang frowned, this was really unexpected. Yu Zang's family is a courtier of Western Xia, and he stood up for Blind Wu, was he ordered by Xingqing Mansion, or continued the tacit understanding during the Battle of Weiyuan last year?

Han Gang couldn't figure it out for a while. However, no matter who made the move, this time the baggage team was ambushed, which means that the grain road to Lintao is no longer safe. The Tubo people may come again at any time, it may be Yu Zang Huama, or it may be the Mu Zheng brothers.

There is an idiom called eating marrow and knowing the taste, and the Tubo people take advantage of it, and they will never run away and wash their hands without drying it. Once a tiger has eaten a person, it will also put the person in the menu. The Tibetans will definitely come again to block the grain route. Han Gang thought for a while, what he could do now was to expand the size of the convoy as much as possible and send additional guards.

It is impossible for the Tibetans to force a larger contingent than 500 cavalry, otherwise they will be embellished by the officers and troops of Lintao City, and if there are corresponding preparations and sufficient troops, it will be enough for them to return in vain. But if the Tubo people change their ways, it will be a headache to change to a small group of harassment.

In order to wipe out Tibet as soon as possible, it is necessary to overcome the difficulties in the supply of military rations, and any possible problems must be taken into account.

Han Gang walked to the sand table and thought silently. The topographical sand table about the Wusheng Army had already been made, and although it was relatively superficial, it was enough to be used to formulate a battle plan and plan the defense system of the Wusheng Army.

In the planning, not only Lintao City should be added, but also in the north and south of Lintao to build the South Fort and the North Fort to block the section of the Taoshui River Valley where Lintao City is located. A complete defense system is more important than a single city.

It's just that this requires a large number of people, but if they are raided by thieves in the process of transferring people, most of them will cause chaos.

It looks like we have to make up our minds. ’

Wang Hou heard the news at this time and hurried over. was watching Han Gang muttering to the sand table.

"From Weiyuan Fort to Qingping Fort, that is, the section of Bird and Mouse Mountain, it is still relatively safe." A long wooden stick shook on the sand table, and Han Gang whispered to himself, "But further west, it leads to the remaining seventy miles of Lintao, and there are many forks in the way, which makes it impossible to guard ......against it."

Staring at the sand table, Han Gang bit his lower lip, and after an unknown amount of time, he finally made a decision.

Mantell! Or set up a military station!

The baggage team is transported between the military station and the military station, and each family is in charge of a section. Then set up walled forts in several strategic places along the way, and protect the wing baggage team. From Weiyuan Fort to Lintao City, more than 100 miles of grain road, with Savage Pass, Qingping Fort as the core to set up a military station, the grain road is divided into three sections. A military station in thirty or forty miles, under normal circumstances, can be completed in half a day, even if it is harassed by thieves, it is guaranteed to arrive at the next military station before sunset.

Moreover, after the establishment of the military station, each baggage team was only responsible for the journey of twenty or thirty miles. Make a handover at the military station. In this way, they can familiarize themselves with the road and know which part of the road is dangerous and which section is safe. However, I will be nervous all the time and become tired easily.

Han Gang had not been able to make up his mind before, because of the military station system, the number of troops that needed to be stationed was much higher than normal, in order to protect the few extra military places out of thin air. But now it seems that it is still imperative.

"Stabilize the grain route first." Han Gang turned around and said to Wang Hou, he still noticed Wang Hou's arrival, "Please go to Lintao to face the junior brother of Lintao to face Jiyi, and in the two places of Savage Pass and Qingping Fort, each of them will have a cavalry under command and five hundred foot soldiers." Here in Weiyuan Fort, the people who are responsible for the transfer of baggage will also be divided into two places, Savage Pass and Qingping Fort, and let them each be responsible for a section of transfer. Although the trip is a day slower, the safety performance is much improved. ”

Han Gang is determined to turn this grain road into a hedgehog that is difficult to speak, no matter whether the Fan people are coming from a large team, they don't want to take advantage of it here.

"What about Weiyuan Fort?" Wang Hou also knew that the elite of Weiyuan Fort was now exhausted in Lintao, and most of the people from the Guangrui Army were divided, but it was too empty.

"Don't worry." Han Gang's gaze returned to the sand table, "Weiyuan Fort is very safe. ”

……………………

"From here, you can turn around the Mabang Mountain, and you can go straight to Weiyuan." Wu Yanzheng held a horsewhip and pointed to the south.

Blind Wu Qi looked in the direction of the horsewhip and said listlessly, "Who doesn't know about this?" ”

Wu Yanzheng is Mu Zheng's younger brother and the younger brother of Blind Wu Qi, inheriting Blind Wu Qi's territory in the north of Minzhou. This time, when he heard that the Song people were attacking the Wusheng army, he hurriedly led troops to the rescue - as soon as the Wusheng army was lost, most of his contact with Hezhou would be cut off.

It's just that when Wu Yanzheng arrived, Wang Shaodu had already entered Lintao City. I only saw a discouraged blind Wu Qi. He looked at his depressed brother and sneered, "The Song people don't seem to know anything about this. ”

Caravans traveling between the Western Regions and the Great Song Dynasty were accustomed to crossing the Bird and Mouse Mountains, but this did not mean that there were no other routes between Lintao and Weiyuan. In addition to the Bird and Mouse Mountain on the north side, there is also a southern route, and the road is not as rough as the Bird and Mouse Mountain, making it difficult for vehicles to navigate, but you have to go around in a circle to the south. [Note 1]

For caravans that rely on horses and camels as their foot strength, the road that cannot be allowed to go does not mean that the horse team cannot be allowed to go. On the contrary, the extra seventy or eighty miles made the caravan lose interest. This southern line had to pass through the Mabang Mountains, and the Song army, which had now captured Lintao, did not have enough troops to occupy this area.

Blind Wu Qi's eyes finally became sharp, and he listened to his younger brother continue to explain: "According to the report of the sentinel, the current army of the Song people guarding the Wing Grain Road is all placed in the Savage Pass and Dalai Valley, and they are completely defenseless in Weiyuan City. …… Because no one can break through the three lines of defense of Lintao, Savage Pass and Qingping Fort. Therefore, the Song people became arrogant and did not guard against our counterattack at all. Although Yu Zang Huama is extremely cunning and ill-intentioned, he also made an appointment with the third brother to send troops. I heard that he had sent people to intercept the Song people's baggage team, and asked the Song people to send the army to guard the grain road. At that time......"

"We can then go and attack Weiyuan Fort!" Blind Wu Qi became excited, "The Song people can sneak attack the Savage Pass, and we can also imitate their old wisdom and go to defeat Weiyuan Fort!" ”

Wu Yanzheng laughed fiercely, "When the time comes, let's see if Wang Shao can still sit in Lintao City!" ”

Note 1: This is today's National Highway 316.