Xu Wei did not let these people into the city immediately, but led a group of people to leave the city. On the post road west of Fengxiang Mansion City, the two are still facing each other. The cavalry of the White Army were eyeing each other, and the weapons in their hands were not slackened in the slightest. And those on the other side either stretched their bows or drew their swords, but they also refused to give an inch.

Xu Wei stepped forward and waved his hand, and the knights withdrew their weapons. When the other party saw it, he loosened the bowstring and put the knife into the sheath. This group of people is about hundreds, and the span is quite large in terms of age. From the prime of life in their forties to the posteriors in their teens, there are all kinds of people. The only thing that is the same is that these civilians with weapons and in civilian clothes are all neatly packed and look fierce. At this time, their eyes were on the group of officers in military uniforms.

"Who are you?" Yang Yan asked.

A long knife with a raised eyebrow, about thirty-five or sixteen years old, wearing a cotton robe, covered with leather armor, and a bearded man hugged a fist: "Sir is polite, I am the brother of the Bow and Arrow Society of Wushan County, Longzhou, I heard that the front line was lost, and the official army withdrew to Fengxiang, and I came to help in the war." ”

Wushan County is just northwest of Fengxiang Mansion City, only thirty or forty miles away. Hearing this, Yang Yan tilted his head and asked, "How do I know if what you said is true or false?" ”

The man didn't say much, took out something from his side and handed it over. Yang Yan took it, did not check it without authorization, turned around and handed it to Xu Wei again. It was a letter from the government to the "Society Executive", which read, "Wushan has no life society, with 500 households, and is allowed to form an association to carry out the army." In addition to these words, it is also stamped with the Zhu Ji of "Longzhou Soldiers and Horses". The Bow and Arrow Society is the collective name of this kind of local armed forces, and the word "no life" is their "banner", which means not to die.

Xu Wei handed it back to the club and said loudly: "You have some loyalty, and Ben Shuai appreciates it very much." But don't hide it from you, the Jin army may come to Fengxiang City at any time, and you should know the danger in your heart. ”

Who knows, as soon as this sentence came out, there was a burst of laughter in the crowd of hundreds of people. The men with guns and knives looked at each other and smiled, as if Xu Wei's words were very unreliable.

The head of the society gave Xu Wei a look, and said with a smile: "Don't worry, sir, we are all villagers here, since we know the matter, 'bring a bow and hoe, and wear a sword and a wood", every time the official army encounters a war, we have a lot of followers, levy party items, attack the Khitan, and we are not missing any battle. Our 500 brothers have brought their own equipment and food to help in the war, and the officers and soldiers will not pay a cent! ”

This is a bit of a big breath. However, it is true that in the Song Dynasty, non-governmental organizations of a military nature were very popular in the border to resist the enemy and in the interior to protect themselves. In the north of Taiyuan Zhending, south to Fujian Guangnan, there are associations. Among them, the highest quality is none other than Shaanxi. Everyone in the world knows that the Western Army is brave and good at fighting, but everyone knows that all kinds of civilian armed forces in Shaanxi also have strong combat effectiveness. Shaanxi is an important military town of the Great Song Dynasty, and the people in this area, regardless of men, women, old and young, have many people who practice martial arts and know soldiers. However, do not think of them as the rebels of the two rivers, there is an essential difference between the two.

Xu Wei nodded approvingly: "Okay!" I'll take you! Wanger and others bravely served their lives, but they had merit and were treated equally with the officers and soldiers! ”

The head of the club hugged his fists and thanked him, and at the end, he asked: "I don't know which way you are?" ”

"Ben Shuai Xu Wei." Zijin Tiger replied casually.

As soon as he heard the word "Xu Wei", the five hundred brave men were taken aback, and there were many discussions, and the head of the club frowned, and asked tentatively: "Mo is a tiger handsome?" ”

Xu Wei's defeated general was not brave, and laughed self-deprecatingly: "Sort of." ”

"Oops! The handsome man is above, wait for me! The head tiger roared and howled out this sentence, and bowed his head. None of the hundreds of people behind him were vague, and they all bowed down.

If it was in the past, it would have been fine, but now Xu Weishen is ashamed of the defeat of Juzhou, and when he sees them so elevated, his face can't be overturned. Stretched out his hand to help him: "Since you have come to help in the war, you are my brother, so you don't need to be polite." ”

The head of the society stood up and said: "The villain's surname is Wu, the name is a town, the family is big, and the brothers of the audience family are promoted and serve as the head of the society." Unexpectedly, I saw the handsome tiger here! Enough comfort! I heard that the marshal also started an incident with the township soldier club back then, and I waited for a good student to admire! Can fight under the command of the commander and die without complaint! ”

The more he admired it, the more Xu Wei felt that it was not a taste, and replied casually: "Okay, let's go into the city, you will go to Yao Zhao on the West Road to discuss moderation." As soon as I heard this, it was even more terrible, and those social warriors speculated one after another, should this Yao Zhao be a little captain? How blessed are we? As soon as you come, you will listen to it under the command of the two handsomes in Shaanxi! Amazing! Amazing! This time it's death, and it's worth it!

Just as he was about to enter the city, he heard someone shouting, "Someone is coming!" ”

Everyone looked for prestige, only to see that from the direction of Longzhou, there were people coming all the way, and the number was more than this lifeless society. When I got closer, I found that the people who came were also carrying bows and guns, and they were carrying a flag in front of them, called "Long'an Overlord Society". This name gets scarier than the other!

Of course, he had to report his family, and Xu Wei assigned these two social warriors to Yao Pingzhong, who had weaker troops. As a result, this is not the end, in the afternoon of the same day, the Zhongyi Patrol Society rushed from Longzhou and Fengzhou, and the township soldiers reached the sixth road. There were hundreds of people at least and more than 1,000 at most, all of whom brought their own weapons and food, and rushed to fight side by side with the officers and soldiers. It was only at this moment that Xu Wei realized why the seed master told him that the land of Qinlong had the best source of soldiers in the world.

However, although Xu Wei is also a township soldier, he believes that he can only rely on the regular army to really fight a tough battle and fight a bad war. These people deserve to be commended for their loyalty, but they are "amateurs" after all.

On the evening of the 29th, Tanma reported that the Jin army had captured the county seat of Qishan, crossed the Qi River, and entered the boundary of Fengxiang Fucheng, and its vanguard was already more than ten miles away.

Xu Wei, Yao Pingzhong and other generals know that tomorrow, the big war is about to break out! This time the war was different from the past. The Western Army was newly defeated and demoralized, and the Jin Army came to seize the city with the aftermath of the great victory, and it was really unknown who would die.

But Zijin Tiger longs for this victory, not only to wash away the shame of his defeat in Dunzhou, but also to revive the prestige of the Western Army!

The cold wind shouted, Xu Wei was alone, standing on the head of Fengxiang City, and in the distance, the sporadic firelight was where the Jin army camp was located. Early tomorrow morning, they will appear under Fengxiang City. Frankly speaking, he was not unwilling or unconvinced by the defeat of Juzhou this time. Ma Wu uses soldiers and has a serious style, but as soon as he seizes the opportunity, he dares to make a desperate bet and press all his blood capital! From this point of view, I am still not ready, and I have to learn from the other party. Throughout the previous battles since he led his troops, all of them are seeking victory in danger, and the sword is on the sidelines!

This may have something to do with my former profession, which was always risky and gambled. But leading troops to fight is different from gambling, gambling in the past, are their own set up, lead people to the hook, to gamble, you have to know the hole cards before betting, but can you fight like this? Command smaller battles can be more flexible and tactful. However, in a large-scale corps battle, the first thing to do is to be stable! And not strange!

Compared with a battlefield veteran like Ma Wu, he is still a little tender. Juzhou is my place of shame, but not my Waterloo! What I lost, I will regain!

The arrow wound on his right chest and right rib was painful, and Xu Wei couldn't help but cover his chest. Suddenly, he felt a sinking in his body, and turned his head to look, the figure in the haze was so familiar.

Zhang Jiujiu put a cloak on her husband's shoulders and said softly: "The weather is cold, you have injuries on your body, go back early." ”

Xu Wei held her hand, tightened it, and asked, "Is my daughter sleeping?" ”

"If she doesn't sleep, how can I walk away? This baby looks like a mother, but her temperament follows her father, restless, and she sleeps all afternoon, and she calls her father when she falls asleep. Zhang Jiujiu leaned lightly beside her husband, and when she talked about this, her tone unconsciously revealed the happiness of being a wife and a mother.

Xu Wei couldn't help laughing.

"What are the officials thinking?" Zhang Jiujiu asked.

Xu Wei has always had a clear distinction between public and private, and he never brought it to his home on official business, and he never mentioned it in front of his wife. Then he said: "It's nothing, blow a cool breeze, sober up." ”

Zhang Jiujiu is not a woman who is easy to fool, she knows what her husband is thinking. Holding Xu Jiu's arm, she said softly: "I was also born in a family of soldiers, although I have not personally experienced the conquest, I have heard of it. It is known that victory and defeat are common things in soldiers, and none of the generals of the past and present generations have never tasted defeat in their lives. However, only by seeking victory in defeat can we be more heroic. ”

When Xu Wei heard this, he couldn't help but reach out and put his arm around her shoulder, and asked with a smile, "How do you know I'm thinking about this?" ”

"Since the incident, the officials have fought dozens of battles and never lost their results. The loss of Yanzhou, although the official family never speaks at home, but the husband and wife who are lying together, how can I not see it? Zhang Jiujiu said.

Xu Wei sighed heavily: "The defeat is a small matter of humiliating my reputation, but the loss of land and the city, and the loss of my brother's robe is a big matter." Moreover, this defeat was caused by my carelessness and the mistake of command, so how can I not feel heartache? ”

"This is already the case, and even if the officials feel guilty all the time, it will not help." Zhang Jiujiu said with relief. "I remember when I was in my aunt's house, officials often came to visit. At that time, my wife was thinking that it was really amazing that this little official was so young, but he could be invited as a guest by his uncle. Later, he married an official, moved to Shaanxi with his husband, and became a great reputation for several years. September believes that a defeat will not make the Purple Gold Tiger lose his prestige. Now, Fengxiang is all counting on the officials, I firmly believe that with the protection of the officials, and the elite soldiers of the South Road Division, Fengxiang will be safe and sound, and the gold thief will definitely return! ”

Generally speaking, wives comfort their husbands, and there is some element of "my wife's beauty is my own, and my selfishness is selfish". But Zhang Jiuyue said very sincerely, as if even if she was not Xu Wei's wife, she would absolutely trust her.

One of the reasons why she did this was because she believed in her husband. The second reason is that at this time, Xu Wei really needs someone to comfort him and encourage him. Or in the eyes of others, in the eyes of his subordinates, Zijin Tiger is a high commander, and he doesn't need anyone to comfort and encourage, he is strong and hard! But only those who lie in the same bed with him know that even the Purple Gold Tiger is a time of loss. Men are very strong most of the time, and people tend to overlook their fragile side.

Xu Wei is not an easily moved person, but at this time, he couldn't help but be a little tempted, took Jiujiu in his arms, and said softly: "Don't worry, I won't let you down." ”

Leaning his head on her husband's shoulder, she could vaguely feel his powerful heartbeat, and Zhang Jiujiu's tone became softer and softer: "The wind is cold in the middle of the night, and the official is injured, so let's go back early." ”

Xu Wei patted her on the back: "You go back first, I still have some things to deal with, I'll come back later." ”

Zhang Jiujiu didn't say much, tidied up his clothes for him, and slowly went down to the city. Xu Wei watched her leave, then turned around, looked at the Jin military camp from afar, for a long time, and said in a deep voice: "Ma Wu, let's make two more moves!" ”

"Handsome! Handsome! A voice came from under the city, Xu Wei came to the other side of the city wall, and replied, "What's the matter?" ”

Zhao Bin, the envoy of the army, called under the city: "The lower officials inspected the materials and found some things, please go and check them out." ”

At that moment, Xu Wei didn't think much about it, so he went down to the city and went to the place where the materials were stockpiled with Zhao Bin. A few days ago, after the materials gathered in Pizhou by the Xuanfu Disposal Division were transported to Fengxiang Mansion, there was no time to divide them, and they were all piled up on the colonel field of the Fengxiang garrison. How much supplies should be for an army of more than 100,000? The school yard was full, which made Zhao Bin busy enough to transfer the army of the Southern Shaanxi Recruitment Division, and from the time he entered Fengxiang Mansion to the present, he didn't even rest for half a moment, and he kept counting.

At that time, there were soldiers and horses guarding the school grounds, and many people were carrying torches to count and record various materials. After Zhao Bin brought Xu Wei in, he summoned several adjutants, took out a booklet from their hands, turned to a page, and said quickly: "The materials transported from Pizhou include money, grain, ordnance, clothing, armor, medicine, and so on. When the lower officer inspected the ordnance, he found that it was recorded as 'eight oxen crossbows and four hundred', but at first he only saw the record, but not the actual object. Fang has just found it, so he is in a hurry to report to the big handsome. ”

Eight Bull Crossbows? Xu Wei listened to this name a little strangely, the Song Army's equipment was named, and it was generally very majestic, like some kind of divine arm bow, enemy bow, thunderbolt cannon and the like. What is an eight-bull crossbow?

I took a torch and looked at it closely, and it was indeed recorded with the words "Eight Oxen Crossbow and Four Hundred". Then he asked, "Where is it?" ”

Zhao Bin didn't talk nonsense, put the booklet to his life, and under the guidance of the adjutant, he took Xu Wei around the piles of mountain-like materials and came to a corner of the school field. There were many soldiers cleaning up, and there were bags of things piled up on the ground, and judging from the scattered, this should be the beans eaten by the military horses.

"I don't know who was in charge of transporting the supplies, but they pressed the grain and grass on the ordnance, so they didn't find it for a while. Look, this is what is cleaned up. Zhao Bin pointed to something and said.

The thing was lying quietly under a tree on the edge of the school yard, and Xu Wei was really taken aback when he saw it. Isn't this a bed crossbow? How did it deform?

This bed crossbow is different from the one Xu Weijun is equipped with. The bed crossbow used by the Tiger Army was no more than five feet long and only two feet wide. And there is only one bow, which fires long arrows and shoots more than 200 steps, ranking behind the bow of the divine arm. But this bed crossbow is simply a strengthened version. Its crossbow bed is like a large table that ordinary people often put in the hall! Eight people are no problem! On the crossbow bed, there are three strong bows, and the most peculiar thing is that the first two bows are arranged in the positive direction, while the last third bow is arranged in the opposite direction. The mechanism at the rear end of the ballista bed is also different from the one equipped in Xu Weijun, with two huge winches on the left and right, each with four rough handrails, which are used by the crossbowman to twist the bowstring.

Seeing this Big Mac, Xu Wei finally knew why it was called the "Eight Bull Crossbow", you couldn't pull the string without the strength of the Eight Bull Head!

Stepping forward to carefully observe this giant crossbow, Xu Wei was sure that this was definitely the largest long-range device he had ever seen since he joined the army! When his gaze fell on the arrow trough of the giant crossbow, also known as the arrow path, he was shocked again. Generally, it is not difficult to see how long and big the arrows used in the crossbow are from the arrow slot, and the arrow slot in front of Xu Wei is different from the others, because it has more than one arrow slot, in addition to the main arrow slot in the middle, there are three slightly smaller arrow paths on the left and right sides.

And what caught Xu Wei's attention was the main arrow road in the middle. He put his arm down and tried it, it was just so thick, and looking at the length, he suspected that the arrow made by this giant crossbow was at least about five feet long, and seven inches thick! Sky! Is that still called an arrow? That should be called a gun!

Tentatively twisted the winch, but it didn't move! The range of this eight-bull crossbow is probably more than a little bit more than that of the Divine Arm Bow!

At this time, a soldier came over with a gun and held it in front of Xu Wei with both hands. The Purple Gold Tiger immediately realized that this was the arrow used by the Eight Bull Crossbow! When I took a look, I saw that this arrow was shorter than the long spear used by the heavy infantry and cavalry, and it was really about five feet long and six inches thick. Probably to highlight the ability to break, the arrow is a triangular head, and the most surprising thing is its feathers. For ordinary arrows, the genus uses the feathers of birds. But this arrow is made of iron!

While he was playing carefully, the soldier brought another bundle. This bundle of arrows is different, its arrows are two-edged, long and sharp, and they are obviously used for armor-piercing! Xu Wei couldn't help but think, if this armor-piercing sharp arrow is shot out by this eight-bull giant crossbow, it doesn't require much, you can shoot five hundred steps! What a power that must be!

Moreover, the Eight Bull Crossbow can not only shoot one arrow, on both sides of the main arrow path, there are six arrow slots, that is to say, this giant crossbow can fire seven arrows at a time! It shouldn't be called a crossbow, it should be called a cannon! Ballista!

"How many do you say?" Xu Wei suddenly asked Zhao Bin.

Zhao Zhuan was a cautious person, read the booklet again, and read: "Sichuan made four hundred eight-ox crossbows, equipped with more than 20,000 arrows. ”

"Enough! Enough is enough! Xu Wei put the giant arrow on the ground and immediately ordered, "Go, transfer the Jinya Army to me!" ”