On February 20 of the fifth year of Chongzhen, Wu Fu, the inspector of the imperial history, received a report from Sunday Qiang. Because the officers and troops who had entered the previous attack were still reporting successes, Wu Fu still had some expectations when he first received the Tang report, thinking that the official army had captured Tiejiao City.

It's just that after he opened the Tang newspaper, Wu Fu found that he was wrong again. Just like the situation of encircling and suppressing Shen Yikui in February last year (the fourth year of Chongzhen), the official army almost reproduced the situation of security a year ago.

Although the loss this time was not as big as it was at the beginning, Wu Fu's reaction next was even more fierce than a year ago. After inspecting the military situation in Shaanxi for so long, Wu Fu has keenly noticed that the content of the Qiangtang newspaper on Sunday is quite unnatural. Eighty percent of the other party is concealed, so Wu Fu has already made up his mind to conduct a strict investigation in person.

This time to attack the officials of Iron Horn City, there will definitely be people who will be unlucky. How many unlucky people will be, no one knows yet. It's just that Sunday Qiang, as the supreme commander of this operation, will definitely appear on the impeachment list.

After the confidant of the former trilateral governor lost his backer, many people openly criticized him one after another.

Inspector Wu Fu had also impeached this rather mediocre official in his eyes before. If Wu Fu participates in the last book this time, Sunday Qiang, who has lost his backer, will most likely collapse.

As for the two general soldiers of Gansu Town and Ningxia Town, who lost their troops and lost their generals, they were also impeached by Wu Fu because of their unsatisfactory performance in suppressing thieves last year. Although the imperial court is currently employing people, it still has to rely on the two commanders.

But Wu Fu, who has always been serious, will not have the slightest scruples. After staying in Shaanxi for so long, he couldn't stand the things that some military attachés did. It is also because Du Wenhuan died in the battle under Baoan City last year, otherwise Wu Fu would definitely not let go of this Zuo Dudu, who commanded all the officials and armies in Shanxi.

The two general soldiers of Gansu and Ningxia should be strictly investigated, as for the remaining Zhang Mengjin on the west road of Yansui Town. Although he has a relatively low sense of presence as a small garrison, considering his sensitive identity as a former thief, he may also become an alternate in Wu Fu's impeachment list if he has not yet found out the details of the battle in the sixth year of the first month.

The news of the defeat outside Tiejiao City naturally spread to the Jingbian camp on Yansui West Road. Bingxian Dai Junen couldn't help but be a little disappointed when he learned that the official army had failed to advance and failed to eradicate the Iron Horn City that threatened the western road as planned. However, the more than 500 officers and soldiers of Yansui Town led by his subordinate Zhang Mengjin did not suffer too many casualties in this battle, and it was finally a blessing in misfortune.

At present, the Yansui West Road began to be unstable again, and on the 28th of the first month of Bingyin, the Li Tu of Hetao came to the vicinity of the side wall with three or four hundred Mongolian cavalry, claiming that the Hudun Rabbit of the Han Dynasty was asking for money. Their posture was completely coerced, and before the chief soldier Cao Wenzhao, the deputy chief soldier Zhang Yingchang and the fellow soldier Zhao Wenqi could discuss a result, the deserters of the Ming army caused a battle.

The escaped Yiding under the previous general army Sun Xianzu joined the Mongols, they claimed that Dingbian was empty, and planned to meet with Litu to capture Dingbian Fort, and they could also lure other Yiding in Dingbian City to respond.

In order to avoid the Jianzhou Jurchens and return to the Ming Dynasty, the imperial court scattered them in various towns, and Hatai and brought more than 100 tribesmen to settle in Dingbian. When Cao Wenzhao suppressed thieves in Shanxi, he also repeatedly relied on Hatai and their strength.

Sun Xianzu's fugitives secretly made a rebellion plan with them this time, preparing to control the east and west gates of Dingbian under the pretext of strengthening the defense, so that Li Tu and the Mongols could break into the city.

The next day, the Ming army, realizing that the situation was wrong, saw through their rebellion plan. Zhang Shikui, Wang Xiwu and others went out of the city to fight, and after Cao Wenzhao and others drove the rebels in the city out of the city, they went out of the city to attack together with other officials and soldiers.

Under the hard work of the official army, they finally repelled the Mongols and the rebellious Yiding, and cut one hundred and forty-one ranks, but Li Shike, the commander of the official army, was killed in this battle.

The turmoil in Dingbian made the soldiers of the Western Route very uneasy, and if the Mongols contacted the thieves in the Ming Dynasty at this time to rebel together, the Western Road, which was underarmed, would be very dangerous.

Moreover, among the thieves in Dongchuan, many of them are the original subordinates of Shen Yikui. In addition, the soldiers of Ningsai have not yet been completely stabilized, and this time I heard the news of the defeat of the official army in Iron Horn City, I am afraid that there will be people who will plot against each other.

If it is a strong Iron Horn City thief, contact Ningsai's Descendant to rebel at this time. Yansui West Road, which has been suffering from internal and external troubles, will definitely turn the sky upside down. Therefore, in order to stabilize the situation on the western road, Dai Junen has asked his superiors to transfer back Zhang Mengjin's men and horses who are still in the field, so that they can all return to Ningsai to garrison.

As for Cai Xiaozi and Ma Xiangbo and others in the Ningsai camp, they received the news from Zhang Mengjin's faction earlier. At the moment they are thinking about what they should do next.

After all, there are still a large number of soldiers in the Ningsai camp, and if they receive the news of the defeat of the official army, they will inevitably have some thoughts in their hearts. If it is provoked by the thieves' spies again, then the Ningsai camp will be lively to watch.

Cai Zhongming stood at the head of the city in Ningsai, looking at the generals who went out on a "business trip" outside the city again, and the disdain in his heart rose another level. With this guts, he can still become a general all the way, and the people in the court are really blind.

After despising Wu Hongqi, who quickly slipped away, Cai Zhongming turned to his own brother Cai Zhongquan and said, "Old Five, you take some elite soldiers to patrol with your third brother, and patrol one side." After an hour, the sixth and Jindingshan's men will come over to take over. ”

Cai Zhong was wearing brown cotton armor from the top of mugwort, and he held his waist knife with one hand and held the integrated helmet around his waist with the other. Compared with the time when he was a hostage in Jinding Mountain, Cai Zhongquan is now completely different.

Through the discipline baptism of the regular army, as well as Cai Zhongquan's own deliberate training. At this time, he has completely lost the obscenity that can be seen at a glance when he was a bandit. The rest is a heroic appearance under the combination of refined armor.

After hearing his eldest brother's order, Cai Zhongquan put on his helmet and made a gesture to his eldest brother, and then turned around and beckoned his subordinates to leave. Cai Zhongming, who was only half a head taller than Cai Shorty, looked much more powerful than Cai Shorty under his capable movements.

Cai Zhongming watched his fifth brother leave, and the corners of his mouth slanted slightly and laughed in a low voice: "It's really not like my brother." Thinking of Zhang Mengjin and Guan Zhiqing's ridicule of him before, Cai Zhongming shook his head with a smile, and went to find Ma Xiangbo and others in Jinding Mountain.

The other soldiers around Cai Xiaozi didn't hear the whispers of the big boss, but Cai Zhongguang, the fourth brother of Cai Xiaozi, heard the banter of his own boss. Cai Zhongguang will also smile, the eldest brother Cai Zhongming and Zhang Mengjin, the big boss of Jindingshan, teased each other.

At first, Zhang Mengjin joked that Cai Zhongming was short and easy to be looked down upon by outsiders. And Cai Zhongming is Zhang Mengjin, who is not much taller than himself, and his appearance is more frustrated than himself.

Zhang Mengjin's second brother, Zhang Mengguang, is burly, tall and mighty. His third brother Zhang Mengcheng is not short, with a well-proportioned body and strong muscles, and he has an outstanding temperament. On the other hand, Zhang Mengjin, as the eldest brother, is a little obscene under his dry figure, very much like a monkey.

Therefore, Cai Zhongming laughed at Zhang Mengjin. He said a little sarcastically, there are many people on the road who suspect that the three Zhang brothers were not born by the same father, and the vague meaning is that the Zhang brothers' own mother stole people.

This kind of talk is naturally quite excessive, and the grass on the grave of other people who dare to say these words to Zhang Mengjin on the road is two or three feet high. But for Cai Zhongming's somewhat excessive sarcasm, Zhang Mengjin just waved his fist and fought with him, and then went back to sulk. However, Zhang Mengjin was concerned about this matter, and from time to time he would look for opportunities to ridicule Cai Xiaozi's flaws with words.

After the two families changed into official skins, Zhang Mengcheng each wrote a code of conduct for soldiers to the leaders of the two families. Most people didn't take it seriously, but Cai Zhongquan, the younger brother of Cai Xiaozi, attached great importance to it, and specially asked Zhang Mengcheng for advice.

After such a long period of training, Cai Zhongquan, who has no brave name, has become the most military leader among the mugwort peaks. While the leaders of the two villages continued to be amazed, Zhang Mengjin finally found an opportunity to pull Guan Zhiqing to tease Cai Zhongming together.

However, Cai Zhongming didn't react violently, he accepted the ridicule of the two with a smile, and at the same time began to regulate the daily behavior of his subordinates.

And after having a new understanding of the "showman" Zhang Mengcheng, some children of the Cai clan in Artemisia were selected one after another. All joined Yuewei Caotang and received Zhang Mengcheng's teachings in person.

"Big brother, do you want to exchange the batch of people in the village that we selected recently?" Although he was amused by the changes in the fifth child, Cai Zhongguang still did not forget the business that he needed to care about.

Cai Zhongming got a reminder from his fourth brother, and he also came back to his senses and said: "First settle these small families who have descended to Ding, and then they will stay for the time being, and follow us to watch the field of Ningsai." As for the brothers in the stockade, they brought in twenty men, and the rest remained in the stockade first. ”

After answering Cai Zhongguang's question, Cai Zhongming thought of something again, so he opened his mouth and added: "The second one, you urge them again and let them send the rest of the food over as soon as possible." If you want nothing to happen in this Ningsai camp, you can't only have soldiers on hand, but also food. ”

"Then I'll go back this time and bring back the rest of the grain." After Cai Zhongguang finished speaking, he followed his eldest brother to the public office in Ningsai City.

At this time, the principal of Jin Dingshan who stayed in Ningsai was Ma Xiangbo, who was also quite knowledgeable, and Ma Xiangbo had just finished conveying orders to his subordinates at this time.

When Ma Xiangbo saw the big boss of Artemisia Peak coming over, he gave Cai Xiaozi a salute quite in a regular manner. After that, he said to Cai Xiaozi: "General Wu must have gone out of the city on business, I don't know what Lord Cai commands?" ”

"The surname Wu has already taken his family to hide, and it doesn't matter if he doesn't have an egg. I'm here to ask you Jindingshan people what their plans are, and whether you want to send people to take over your big boss. ”

"There is Lao Cai's big boss who is worried, but our big boss has passed the word, saying that everyone did not hurt their bones in the battle on the sixth day of the first month, and we don't need to transfer manpower to support."

"Now that the officers and troops have lost the battle, the losses are not small. Iron Horn City has gathered a large number of thieves, and it is not too far from our territory. However, there are still many people in Ningsai City who have not been completely retracted, and when they hear the news of the defeat of the official army, they will inevitably have some crooked thoughts. If the thieves' spies secretly provoke it, it is likely that a big mess will occur. I think you Jindingshan should also strengthen your vigilance, I have asked my brothers to start patrolling in earnest, and in an hour you remember to send a team of people to take over. ”

"I've asked Xiang Zhong to tighten his guard, and he will take over in an hour. And just now I have sent someone out to give an order, and outside the side wall, the leader of our Jinding Mountain, Zhou will soon come back with men and horses to garrison. ”

After hearing Ma Xiangbo's words, Cai Xiaozi nodded and continued: "I have temporarily left the selected descendants and joined the team to garrison. For the sake of safety, let the newly surrendered Dingding of your Jinding Mountain also stay, and it will be more stable to have them watching. ”

"The food sent by Jinding Mountain is almost there, and the sentinels outside the border wall are about to return, and there should be no major events in Ningsai City. We, Jindingshan, still follow the instructions of the big boss and transfer the descendants back to the cottage. Ma Xiangbo also thought about this issue, and Zhang Mengjin, the big boss, also gave him the right to act cheaply. Just thinking of the spring ploughing that was about to start after Jinding Mountain, Ma Xiangbo still insisted on sending people out.

Seeing that Ma Xiangbo insisted on Zhang Mengjin's order, Cai Zhongming no longer continued to persuade. Instead, together with Ma Xiangbo, he began to assign the deployment task of Ningsai, and at the same time planned the land reclamation around Ningsai. If you want other degraders not to make trouble, in addition to the deterrence of force and the inducement of food, you must also let the degraders have something to do in order to consume their excess energy.

Under the careful supervision of Cai Xiaozi, Ma Xiangbo and others, in the following days, the Dingding in Ningsai City really did not cause any chaos. Instead, they were honestly trained, and at the same time, they found some good farm tools in the warehouse and prepared for the spring ploughing that was coming.

Cai Zhongquan, who was in charge of the inspection, also captured a spy sent by a thief. And Zhou Shaoteng, who returned to Ningsai, also said that the Mongols outside the border wall did not do anything.

After that, news came that the thieves of Iron Horn City besieged Qingyang Mansion City. The thief's attention was not on Yansui West Road, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and they organized people to start preparing for spring ploughing.