The news came back from Miao Zhu, who went to Weiyuan Fort to inspect and inspect. Although he was a new official, Miao Zhu was much more reliable than Zhang Xiang'er of Nazhi's Lin Zhan Department, and the news sent back was more accurate.

The Xingluo Junction is no stranger to Han Gang, a big clan near Weiyuan. After Dong Yu's death, his power rose sharply, and now it is only slightly inferior to the Qingtang Department.

Its patriarch Kang Zunxing Luo Jie is also famous. He was able to lead his troops to retreat in the Battle of Guwei, although there was an element of hatred attracted by Dong Yu, a big fish, but as soon as he saw the Chinese army in ambush, he ran wildly, and his decision without delaying a moment was also very admirable. Moreover, after Dong Yu's death, most of the clan power he left behind was collected by Muzhen, and the rest was placed under the banner of the Xingluo Jiebu.

But Kang Zun also formed a mortal enmity with the Seven Divisions because of his participation in the Battle of Guwei, and he could not defect to the side of the Great Song Dynasty. However, he also did not take refuge in Mu Zheng, but maintained de facto neutrality after the end of the Guwei War. I have to say that this is a very smart choice - as long as he avoids the limelight and shows a little deference, after a year and a half, Wang Shao will also reach out to him.

The above is Han Gang's earlier speculation about Kang Zun Xing Luo Jie, and the day before yesterday, when he heard that he threw himself at Mu Zheng, Han Gang was also surprised, and he didn't expect Kang Zun to be so unwise. Now that I heard that the person in charge of the Xingluo Junction has completely fallen to Mu Zheng, it is not Kang Zun but the newly appointed Beiqiang Xingluo Jie, and I am finally relieved.

It's just that he was immediately surprised, Kang Zun, who had a grudge against the Seven Divisions, was dead, why did Beiqiang change his strategy of maintaining neutrality between the Great Song Dynasty and Mu Zheng? What's in it for the Star Luo Junction?

In the Hehuang region, the Xingluo Junction is considered a big clan, and it can mobilize two or three thousand people at any time. But in front of Da Song, he is just an ant. Moreover, Beiqiang does not have the bloodline of the Tubo royal family like Mu Zheng and Dong Yu, and can have enough influence on the Tubo tribes. If he angered the Great Song Dynasty and raised troops to attack, no one would help him - not even Mu Zheng.

"What benefits did Mu Zheng promise him?" Han Gang was puzzled, "Don't Qiang really think that as long as he doesn't attack the walled city, we will allow him to recruit troops in Baishi Mountain?" Or did he think Mu Zheng would save him? ”

"I don't know what to do, but Mu Zheng is a descendant of Tubo Zanpu, and the Qiang people have always been afraid of the noble race, should it be that the Qiang is loyal to ......" Wang Hou's voice became smaller and smaller under the sharp gazes of Wang Shao, Gao Zunyu and Han Gang, and finally couldn't say it anymore.

'Loyal? ’

Han Gang secretly sneered in Wang Hou's embarrassment. The Tibetan people are afraid of the noble race, referring to the lowest level of foolish people. But whoever can be the head of a clan, how can there be a good one who is good with his generation, and who will be confused by empty loyalty? At most, they will only pay a little respect to the bloodline of the Tubo royal family, which has lasted for hundreds of years, but they will never be loyal to the descendants of Dong Yu, Mu Zheng and other Na Luo. If Mu Zheng and Dong Yu didn't have their clans and armies, who would pay attention to them.

"Don't Qiang Xingluo Jie calculate, there's no need to think about it." Wang Shao said impatiently, "The key is to decide what to do with Beiqiang." ”

Gao Zunyu agreed, "Whether it is suppression or appeasement, it is better than watching him recruit troops everywhere and fight against the imperial court, and if it drags on, maybe it will be Dong Yu again." ”

"It's all about saluting before soldiers. Let people be a lobbyist first, and if it doesn't work, it's not too late to use the knife. Wang Hou recovered from the embarrassment and said his opinion.

"If you want to attack, with the strength of the Star Luo Junction, the number of troops dispatched cannot be less than three thousand. And with 3,000 people, a month's dispatch of troops, the military budget will be 50,000 yuan, 30,000 stone of grain and grass, 1,000 mules and horses, 200,000 arrows, and the same number of people needs to be mobilized......" Han Gang crossed his fingers and calculated the cost of the war for Wang Shao and Gao Zunyu. The most important thing in fighting a war is to have enough money and food, and if you don't have money or food, don't think about using swords.

And what Gu Wei lacks is money and food, "Yukun, do you think you want to appease him?" Gao Zunyu's tone was unhappy, he didn't like to be appeased, compared with the bloody heads, the military merits obtained by the appeasement were really insignificant, "Don't be Qiang is not Yu Longke and blind medicine, such a foolish person, if he doesn't kill a hundred people, it will only make people underestimate the officers and soldiers." ”

Han Gang nodded and said, "That's what he said. Since taking over the position of patriarch, Beiqiang Xingluo Jie has recruited troops and horses, spreading rumors everywhere, and has not had a trace of deference. Judging by his deeds, he is a foolish person who will resist to the end. ”

Han Gang spoke at both ends, and Gao Zunyu listened impatiently: "Yukun, what do you mean, do you want to attack or appease?" ”

"If the problem of money and food can be solved, it should be based on the attack."

'Isn't this nonsense......?' Wang and Gao scolded secretly.

"It's better to let the Qingtang Department send troops,......" Wang Hou proposed again, but this time he only said half a sentence before he realized that he was speechless and stopped.

Wang Shao, Gao Zunyu and Han Gang shook their heads together. The four people present were very clear about what the situation of the Qingtang Department called the Guishun Imperial Court was. Whether it is Yu Longke or blind medicine, after receiving the reward from the imperial court, he will go back to be their soil emperor, how can he pay attention to the order of the Yuanbian Pacification Division.

The previous time Dong Yu raised troops to attack Qingwei, Yu Longke was forced by the situation, and at the same time to compete with his younger brother to win, so he was persuaded by Han Gang to send troops. And the blind medicine was for his own ambition, setting a trap to kill Dong Yu. If they want to guard their hometown and fight back against the incoming enemy army, they will do a very hard job. But for the Song people to send troops to attack the tribe supported by Mu Zheng, they would not be so stupid.

Let the two chieftains of Qingtang accept the reward, no one will be against money, but if you want them to truly submit and obey the orders of the imperial court, just like Zhang Xiang'er, Wang Shao can let him order the army in the clan with a word, and he will never dare to delay a little, but it is even more difficult.

"If you want the Qingtang Department to be completely submissive, you must let them see the strength of the official army. Rashly seeking help now will not only make it difficult to succeed, but will also encourage their arrogance. "Wang Shao didn't have the idea of borrowing the power of the people at all this time. The really obedient Nazhi Linzhan and other seven tribes now have only one tribe left, and their overall strength has dropped by more than half. And the Qingtang Department, which has the ability to solve it, is not obedient enough. If you ask someone now, you will never be heeded.

"Ugh." Han Gang sighed first, "I just hate that both of them are cunning and wise, and they have their own limits in their actions, and they won't lose their sense of proportion in order to fight with their brothers." Otherwise, you can take advantage of it. ”

Gao Zunyu moved his lips and didn't speak, and Han Gang blocked the proposal he wanted to say first.

Wang Shao lowered his head and thought for a while, and then sighed, "Wait for Miao Zhizhi to come back from Weiyuan, and then discuss." He smiled bitterly, "I can't imagine that the Yuanbian Pacification Division has 4,000 elite soldiers, and it is really a pity to take a small Fan Division!" ”

Han Gang could see that as long as the problem of money, food and manpower could be solved, Wang Shao also wanted to fight. Combat effectiveness is fought out, organizational strength is tempered in, and if we do not gradually accumulate experience through small-scale battles, we will have to wait for losses when the time comes for a big war. This most basic understanding is well understood by several people here.

Gao Zunyu and Wang Hou sighed together, this is called a penny is a hero. If your heart is higher than the sky and your pocket is empty, you have no confidence.

However, Han Gang still has a way to deal with the money and food for the war, but this idea violates the law, and he doesn't want to say it from his mouth. Anyway, as long as he is an official, he can think of it sooner or later, and he doesn't need to talk too much, just wait for the time being.

Han Gang made up his mind and lowered his head to drink tea.

In the next two days, Han Gang was so busy that his feet did not touch the ground. Although the matter of Tuntian was handed over to Gao Zunyu by Wang Shao, Gao Zunyu asked Han Gang to arrange the location of the immigrants who came to Tuntian.

In the past 20 years, it has attracted nearly 2,000 Han people to come to Tuntian. In addition to the forty percent of the people living around the ancient Wei village, the remaining more than 1,200 households formed eight large and small villages, all of which were located on the east side of the Weishui River, using the ancient Wei as a barrier to resist the incoming enemy on the west side. However, for the new immigrants who arrived in Guwei, their residences had to be arranged on the west side of Guwei in the style of a military fort to form a defense line to protect the walled city.

To become a barrier to the ancient Wei village, the new immigrants are of course unwilling. What they wanted most was to find a good place to live on the edge of the city, or else to live in the east, so that they would be safe.

Those who can leave everything behind and come to Guwei Village to find a way out are all men who dare to gamble, fight and take risks. The Qing guests sent by Gao Zunyu to manage these Tuntian immigrants could not suppress these fierce Kansai men. had to invite Han Gang to come out, although for them, the cyan official uniform was not much more deterrent than the scholar's shirt. But Han Gang is famous in Qinzhou, and in front of a group of noisy immigrants, no one dares to say more than that.

In order to rectify the order of the immigrants, they were assigned to several selected fort building sites outside the city according to their place of origin and kinship, and it took Han Gang two full days. And in the past two days, Wang Shao also asked him to work with Wang Hou to first delineate the plan for sending troops, and not to worry about the problem of money and food.

Han Gang and Wang Hou worked together to sort out the plan for sending troops. In the Song Dynasty, which was able to compile the "General Essentials of the Martial Classics", the military aspect had already been formalized and publicized, and it was not just a matter of patting the heads of the generals and saying a word when they sent troops to war. Not to mention the most basic things such as money, food, military supplies, marching routes, and garrison barracks, military information reports, and password codes must be prepared in advance

——In order to prepare a confidential password, Wang Hou finally picked out a five-character poem without repeating words in a collection of Wang Shao's shabby poems. There are a total of forty characters in the Five Words Law, each of which represents a kind of intelligence, encountering an enemy, being trapped, winning, defeating, and so on, etc., which must be determined in advance. In wartime, the most secret telegrams were to be transmitted in these ciphers.

On the third day, the new Qinzhou West Road Inspector Miao finally returned.